The present invention relates to a picture signal recording apparatus in which one picture area in a high-definition television system is divided into a plurality of picture areas in an existing ordinary television system, and the divisional picture areas are recorded on a plurality of recording media respectively. The present invention further relates to a picture display system in which the divisional picture areas are displayed on a plurality of existing ordinary television receivers, respectively.
As a new television system replacing the existing ordinary television system, there has been proposed a high-definition television system, such as, for example, a Hi-Vision system, in which not only the picture quality and sound quality are improved, but also high visual mental effects such as realistic feeling, powerfulness, etc., far superior to those in the existing ordinary television system can be produced.
The Hi-Vision system differs significantly in picture-scene system, scanning system, and sound system, from the existing television system, for example, an NTSC system. As a result, a Hi-Vision signal cannot be reproduced as it is by use of an existing NTSC system television receiver. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the difference between the two systems, for example, the number of effective scanning lines, the aspect ratio, the field frequency, etc., be accommodated so that a signal of the Hi-Vision system is displayed after being converted into an NTSC signal.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are views showing examples of output pictures of a Hi-Vision/NTSC converter (a down converter). In FIG. 1(a), the 1035 effective scanning lines of the Hi-Vision system are reduced by about one half so as to be assigned to the 483 effective scanning lines of the NTSC system, and the picture elements are cancelled by 10% at left and right sides of the picture without changing the picture aspect ratio of 4:3 of the NTSC system, thereby obtaining an NTSC output. In this mode, the cancelled portions can be desirably selected.
In the example shown in FIG. 1(b), the 1035 effective scanning lines in the Hi-Vision system are reduced to about one-third so as to be assigned to the 362 effective scanning lines in the NTSC system, and an NTSC output is obtained without changing the picture aspect ratio of 16:9 of the Hi-Vision system. In this mode, the effective scanning lines are blanked by 10% at both the upper and lower portions of the picture area while the horizontal length agrees with that of the picture area of the Hi-Vision system.
In the conventional systems in which a Hi-Vision signal is displayed after being converted into an NTSC signal, there has been a disadvantage in that a picture having the high picture quality of the Hi-Vision system cannot be reproduced because the conversion of the Hi-Vision signal into the NTSC signal is made by reducing the horizontal scanning lines of the Hi-Vision signal. As a result, a picture having the composition expected in the Hi-Vision system cannot be obtained in the mode in which conversion is made by partially cutting off the picture.